BraXzy Posted June 27, 2023 Report Share Posted June 27, 2023 (edited) I just finished book 4 of the Stormlight Archives and… wow there’s a lot to unpack! I’ll admit part way through I was finding some of the book to lose me slightly but towards the end it gripped me like a voidbringer. Overall I’ve absolutely loved this series, and it got me back into books in general so thank you to Brandon for that. Having listened to the series via audiobook over the past year or two, I feel like I’ve missed or forgotten a fair bit so I have some questions and am hoping for some direction. I’m scared to Google too much because I know there’s lots out there I’ve not yet read. - I have read no other Cosmere related books outside of the Stormlight Archive and Warbreaker. Where should I go next? (Mistborn?) - What’s the latest information on Stormlight 5? - How much should I know and understand about the shards / gods? I feel like I’ve either missed or lost parts of knowledge. - Is there a good recap anywhere about all of the key events that happened throughout the series? It’d be great to have a refresher. I feel like there were so many questions raised throughout the series that I can’t remember which were answered and which weren’t. - Are there any good podcasts / video essays that break down the series so far that you’d recommend? - How do you all survive knowing you have to wait for the rest?! Edited June 27, 2023 by BraXzy 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treamayne Posted June 27, 2023 Report Share Posted June 27, 2023 (edited) Congratulations. Welcome to the Forums. Some hints and tricks, in case you find them useful: Spoiler At the bottom left of a post you will see a "+" icon, a "Quote" link, and (your posts only) and Edit and Options tools. On the bottom right you will see an up arrow. The Up Arrow is how you thank people or "like" a post The "Quote" link is exactly that, when you click it the quote will be added to the reply at the bottom of the thread wherever the cursor is So, if you have already started to reply before you decide to quote you can then add the quote before or after your text depending on the cursor location when you click "Quote" The + icon is multi-quote. As you read a thread, if you want to quote multiple items you click that for each post As you click +, you should see a toaster pop-up on the bottom right of the browser window showing how many quotes you will have They are added in the order you click the + icon, not in the original post order, so you can set the order of quotes for your reply When you are ready to reply, click on the toaster pop-up and it will take you directly to the reply section and add the quotes automatically Finally, you can also highlight a small section of a post and, when hovering over the highlit portion, click the "Quote" button that pops up. Also note that you can move quotes after they have been added to your reply. For example, you add a quote and realize there are no empty lines below it for you to type - so you can hit "enter" before the quote to make an empty line then when you hover over a quote you will see a 4-way arrow at the top-left that you can use to drag the quote up (or down) and move the quote to before the empty line. . . Use the Edit link to make changes to a completed post or add information to your post if it is the most recent (to avoid double posting) Quote buttons will still send a quote to "Reply" if you have a post open for edit, but it is easy to cut/paste the quote to the Edit box Editing the first post in a thread allows the thread-creator to edit the thread title. Editing allows you to add a reason for the edit (Spelling and grammar (SPAG), formatting, clarification, new information, etc.), but it is not required. Next to Edit you will also find an "options" dropbox, you can use this to hide your post if you want to remove it after posting At the top of a post you will find "Report Post" Use this if you do accidentally double-post (sometimes it's the browser or a slow link that causes a double post) - just leave a message that it was an accidental double post and the Mods can fix it. If it was the first post of a new thread that doubled, they usually can merge the threads if they both have answers, so all of the content is retained. Hope that helps. 48 minutes ago, BraXzy said: I just finished book 4 of the Stormlight Archives and… wow there’s a lot to unpack! I’ll admit part way through I was finding some of the book to lose me slightly but towards the end it gripped me like a voidbringer. Overall I’ve absolutely loved this series, and it got me back into books in general so thank you to Brandon for that. Having listened to the series via audiobook over the past year or two, I feel like I’ve missed or forgotten a fair bit so I have some questions and am hoping for some direction. I’m scared to Google too much because I know there’s lots out there I’ve not yet read. - I have read no other Cosmere related books outside of the Stormlight Archive and Warbreaker. Where should I go next? (Mistborn?) Reading Order Threads are available and may help - but you would probably be best served by deciding on which subject you are most curious to learn more about: Spoiler Emperor's Soul Novella is a great introduction to Realmatic Theory (though you likely have a good idea on that after all of Stormlight Archive) told simply in a small story Mistborn (Era 1) is a great story with a comparable amount of action - if you prefer action driven plots Elantris is more politically complex (most of the "action" is near the climax) but is also a great story Warbreaker is half-way between the two on the sliding scale of action-> politics, but has a closer "direct connection" to the stories you just finished. I, personally would recommend this either right-before or right after Mistborn era 1 - simply because of the parallels Sanderson intended between Susebron and The Lord Ruler The linked thread also discusses Spoiler considerations in chosing what to read next. 48 minutes ago, BraXzy said: - What’s the latest information on Stormlight 5? Updates are on Sanderson's Website, but still on-track for next Fall as far as I know. 48 minutes ago, BraXzy said: - How much should I know and understand about the shards / gods? I feel like I’ve either missed or lost parts of knowledge. Mistborn really introduces this topic and has the most on the subject outside of Stormlight Archive 48 minutes ago, BraXzy said: - Is there a good recap anywhere about all of the key events that happened throughout the series? It’d be great to have a refresher. I feel like there were so many questions raised throughout the series that I can’t remember which were answered and which weren’t. In the Coppermind (a name which will have more meaning after you read Mistborn), starting here. I also, sometimes, do a faux re-read on TVTropes (Way of Kings Tropes) where I will pick a book and read through the Moments of Awesome, Funny, Heartwarming and Tearjerker (not necessarily in that order) to remind me of the highlights from a given book. Example WoK Trope Highlight: Spoiler Crowning Moment of Awesome (CMoA): Quote Kaladin killing a Shardbearer with only a spear and minimal armor. And one for his squad when they follow him against the Shardbearer, who had just killed four of them effortlessly. Also, the way that Kaladin kills the Shardbearer. He tries fighting in close with his spear, and the Shardblade cuts off the head of the spear. Kaladin throws his knife at the Shardbearer's helmet slit, but just barely misses. Then, as the spearhead tumbles down past him, Kaladin grabs it and slams it through the visor slit into the man's face. CMoF (Funny): Quote There exists in the Palanaeum a book that categorizes people based on their preference in jams. The properties of truthberry jam. Legends say that those who eat it will speak only truth until the next sunrise. What actually happens is that the stems and leaves of truthberry bushes put you in a Mushroom Samba when burned. Tribesmen would gather the berries, eat them around a fire made from the stems, and Hilarity Ensues. Shallan: It's a wonder they didn't become known as birthberries, considering... CMoH (Heartwarming) Quote Dalinar giving up his Shardblade to save Sadeas' bridgemen. It may have saved Kaladin's faith in humanity in general and the lighteyes in particular. Dalinar: What is a man's life worth? Kaladin: The slavemasters say one is worth about two emerald broams. Dalinar: And what do you say? Kaladin: A man's life is priceless. Dalinar: Coincidentally, that is the exact value of a Shardblade. So today, you and your men sacrificed to buy me twenty-six hundred priceless lives. And all I had to repay you with was a single priceless sword. I call that a bargain. The actual Literary Trope page is also a good refresher on plot points while also sometimes providing a different perspective on something you may have overlooked on the first read: Quote Chekhov's Gun: All over the place, but especially noticeable in the Distant Prologue, with the Heralds and the Last Desolation. The names of the Heralds themselves are important, and the lost Herald is the most obvious, but even the color of the blood on the ground becomes important later on. Sanderson even sets up guns that won't be fired until books much later in the series. This might as well be Chekhov's Gun: The Book. The Death Rattles recorded before each chapter in the opening and closing sections of the book are enigmatic statements given by people moments before they die. What they even are won't be explained for a few books, but each holds some hidden significance. PS: For those that don't know - the Checkov's Gun Trope is a term has come to mean an insignificant object that later turns out to be important: Anton Chekhov, master of the short story, gave this advice: If it's not essential, don't include it in the story. Quote "If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there." — Anton Chekhov (From S. Shchukin, Memoirs. 1911.) 48 minutes ago, BraXzy said: - How do you all survive knowing you have to wait for the rest?! By rereading the books and talking about them constantly on this forum. Also by Reading Words of Brandon on The Arcanum - but that's a mixed bag of spoilers. However, you can do neat things like select a topic and order it by "oldest first" and only read the Q&A answers from before the time you are avoiding. For example, that link is the Dalinar hashtag - so if you order it oldest first you'll start by only seeing questions from The Way of Kings. . . Edited June 27, 2023 by Treamayne SPAG 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BraXzy Posted June 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2023 31 minutes ago, Treamayne said: Congratulations. Welcome to the Forums. Some hints and tricks, in case you find them useful: Awesome thanks for all this! I think I’ll give myself some time to process this latest book and then dive in with Mistborn. I feel like I’m missing out… like I’ve only got part of the available puzzle completed for the Cosmere. It’s going to be weird moving on (temporarily) from the world and characters I’ve grown attached to but that’s how these things go ey. Coppermind is a goldmine thanks for the link! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treamayne Posted June 27, 2023 Report Share Posted June 27, 2023 (edited) 31 minutes ago, BraXzy said: Awesome thanks for all this! I think I’ll give myself some time to process this latest book and then dive in with Mistborn. I feel like I’m missing out… like I’ve only got part of the available puzzle completed for the Cosmere.Coppermind is a goldmine thanks for the link! No worries - also I was in the midst up adding the TVTropes link and explanation when you replied (see above). Quote It’s going to be weird moving on (temporarily) from the world and characters I’ve grown attached to but that’s how these things go ey If it is any consolation, you will see some of the characters you may be missing as you read these other works. If you recall in RoW Ch 13 when Shallan (Radiant) discusses Ialai's book with Mraize (see below), he mentions there are places the Ghostbloods want to export Stormlight. Spoiler Ask a better question. “Nalathis,” Radiant said. “Scadarial. What are they?” “Nalthis. Scadrial.” He spoke the words with a different accent. “Where are they. That’s an excellent question, Radiant. Suffice it to say they are places in Shadesmar where our Stormlight—so easily captured and transported—would be a valuable commodity.” Curious. She knew so little of Shadesmar, but the spren had vast cities—and she knew Stormlight was prized there. Slight Spoiler: Spoiler Nalthis is the location of Warbreaker - a.k.a. Expanse of Vibrance on the Shadesmar Map Scadrial is the location of Mistborn - a.k.a. Expanse of Vapors on the Shadesmar Map So, not everybody you met in Stormlight Archive books are actually native to Roshar. . . you wil see some of them in these stories from before they came to Roshar. Slight Spoiler: Spoiler Though not necessarily with the same "name." Slightly More Spoiler Spoiler Using the most obvious examples: E. g. Felt is still Felt, but Azure wasn't always Azure OB Ch 114: Quote “When you came before,” Dalinar said. “What … what did you see?” “To be frank, sir, nothing. She didn’t come to me. Doesn’t visit everyone, you see.” He clapped his hands, then breathed on them. It had been winter, lately. “You’ll want to go in right after dark. Alone, sir. She avoids groups.” “Any idea why she didn’t visit you?” “Well, best I could figure, she doesn’t like foreigners.” “I might have trouble too.” “You’re a little less foreign, sir.” Edited June 27, 2023 by Treamayne OB Ref. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BraXzy Posted June 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2023 1 minute ago, Treamayne said: No worries - also I was in the midst up adding the TVTropes link and explanation when you replied (see above). If it is any consolation, you will see some of the characters you may be missing as you read these other works. If you recall in RoW Ch 13 when Shallan (Veil) discusses Ialai's book with Mraize (see below), he mentions there are places the Ghostbloods want to export Stormlight. Hide contents Ask a better question. “Nalathis,” Radiant said. “Scadarial. What are they?” “Nalthis. Scadrial.” He spoke the words with a different accent. “Where are they. That’s an excellent question, Radiant. Suffice it to say they are places in Shadesmar where our Stormlight—so easily captured and transported—would be a valuable commodity.” Curious. She knew so little of Shadesmar, but the spren had vast cities—and she knew Stormlight was prized there. Slight Spoiler: Reveal hidden contents Nalthis is the location of Warbreaker Scadrial is the location of Mistborn So, not everybody you met in Stormlight Archive books are actually native to Roshar. . . you wil see some of them in these stories from before they came to Roshar. Just spotted that… god the ‘priceless’ line from Dalinar is still so good. Very good point on the interconnected aspect. Part of the appeal of reading the other books after all. Based on the comments in that reading order thread it does sound like I’ve started on hard mode, and there were definitely lots of plot points that were hard to grasp or fully comprehend so it’ll be nice to clear things up. Speaking of, I just remembered that I missed out on god knows how many sketchbooks and other illustrations with listening instead of reading… so much to catch up on! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treamayne Posted June 27, 2023 Report Share Posted June 27, 2023 (edited) 5 hours ago, BraXzy said: Speaking of, I just remembered that I missed out on god knows how many sketchbooks and other illustrations with listening instead of reading… so much to catch up on! Interior art is also on the coppermind. If you start typing the name of the book (e. g. Words of Radiance) in the search box (top-right), don't immediately hit enter and you will see a list of subpages. Look for the Art page (e.g. Words of Radiance/Interior art) to jump directly there and avoid spoilers for books you have not yet read. 5 hours ago, BraXzy said: I think I’ll give myself some time to process this latest book and then dive in with Mistborn. If you plan to start with Mistborn, then I would probably recommend a rough order of: Spoiler Mistborn: The Final Empire The Eleventh Metal (short story - available in Arcanum Unbounded) Well of Ascension Hero of Ages Warbreaker Elantris Hope of Elantris (Short Story - available in Arcanum Unbounded) Emperor's Soul (Novella - available in Arcanum Unbounded, separate ebook or physical book packaged with Legion) 5 hours ago, BraXzy said: Very good point on the interconnected aspect. Speaking of, @BraXzy I also edited the section you quoted above. Very slight spoilers - up to you if you go back and look. Also, have you read the Words of Radiance Deleted Interlude? Edited June 27, 2023 by Treamayne Add quote and links 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ftl Posted June 28, 2023 Report Share Posted June 28, 2023 Quote - I have read no other Cosmere related books outside of the Stormlight Archive and Warbreaker. Where should I go next? (Mistborn?) If you haven't read them yet, read the two novellas that are part of Stormlight Archive - Edgedancer (available as part of Arcanum Unbounded collection) and Dawnshard. Then Warbreaker. It's almost like prequel for a few side characters in Stormlight. Then Mistborn Era 1. Then ask again! (Or read whatever excites you most - this isn't a strict order or anything.) Quote - What’s the latest information on Stormlight 5? Brandon is currently 52% done with the first draft, is targetting completing the first draft by the end of the year, with a release date next year, probably november. He has weekly updates on his progress, and typically gets 1-2% done per week (except last week, where he spent the whole week on revisions - he just sent the first quarter of the book to his editor and agent for their first look.) Quote - How much should I know and understand about the shards / gods? I feel like I’ve either missed or lost parts of knowledge. Probably not very much. It gets revealed more and more over the course of many series. You learn most in Rhythm of War, Dawnshard, Mistborn Secret History, The Lost Metal (book 4 of Mistborn Era 2), and the arcanum unbounded essays. You probably understand everything you're supposed to. Though if you do detailed analysis on everything you've read you could probably figure out more, that's not expected. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sibling she/her Posted June 29, 2023 Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 On 6/27/2023 at 0:00 PM, BraXzy said: - I have read no other Cosmere related books outside of the Stormlight Archive and Warbreaker. Where should I go next? (Mistborn?) I've been thinking a lot about reading order lately. Here's what I did, if it helps. I would suggest reading Elantris next, then Mistborn Era 1 and 2 and maybe White Sands depending on whether you're into graphic novels. After that I would do a Stormlight re-read (it seems long but it's worth it) including the novellas. After that is the perfect time to do a deeper dive into all the random short stories (Arcanum Unbounded) and then it's time for the unpublished stuff. Aether of Night, any sample chapters available, that kind of thing. After that it's time for re-reads, in whatever order you want. On 6/27/2023 at 0:00 PM, BraXzy said: - Are there any good podcasts / video essays that break down the series so far that you’d recommend? Shardcast! Someone may have already suggested it, but it's great. They read words of Brandon, analyse the books, and the videos are available on this site. I'm currently listening to all the Who's That Cosmere Character segments to find the most common clues and guesses. There are so many episodes that it's going to take a while, but you should definitely listen to it! On 6/27/2023 at 0:00 PM, BraXzy said: - What’s the latest information on Stormlight 5? The prologue is available, if you want to read it before the book comes out. There's a thread pinned in Cosmere discussion. On 6/27/2023 at 0:00 PM, BraXzy said: - How much should I know and understand about the shards / gods? I feel like I’ve either missed or lost parts of knowledge. Everyone misses things their first time through. I don't even understand half the stuff people say in these forums when they get into the details. This thread has some great info, but beware it has a lot of spoilers. Cosmere 101 On 6/27/2023 at 0:00 PM, BraXzy said: - Is there a good recap anywhere about all of the key events that happened throughout the series? It’d be great to have a refresher. I feel like there were so many questions raised throughout the series that I can’t remember which were answered and which weren’t. If you have questions, the Coppermind is great, and there's also Cosmere Q&A in the Cosmere Discussion section. On 6/27/2023 at 0:00 PM, BraXzy said: - How do you all survive knowing you have to wait for the rest?! We don't. I am currently dying, and I have been since I finished Rythm of War. Someone help. The only cure is Stormlight 5. Oh yeah, also, welcome to the Shard!! (Sorry, sometimes it takes me a while to get to the main point of what I'm trying to say.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treamayne Posted June 29, 2023 Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 (edited) 4 hours ago, The Sibling said: I would suggest reading Elantris next, then Mistborn Era 1 and 2 and maybe White Sands depending on whether you're into graphic novels. After that I would do a Stormlight re-read (it seems long but it's worth it) including the novellas Skip Warbreaker entirely? @BraXzy - I normally do not recommend reading Mistbon Eras 1 and 2 back-to-back for the first reading, but if you do that just keep in mind that the setting has changed a lot. I actually started in the Cosmere with Mistborn Era 1 (Alloy of Law had just been published when I found these books) and I read TFE, WoA, HoA and AoL as my first four books. The dissonance of change was so jarring (esp because I did not expect it) I nearly didn't finish Alloy at all and would have walked away from all of the Cosmere if a friend hadn't loaned me Elantris. I read that, then found the WoB (below), then went back and finished Alloy of Law and continued to read the Cosmere. But without Elantris to restore my faith in Sanderson as an author, and without the WoB to explain why I felt such dissonance on the setting changes in Alloy of Law - I may not be on this Forum or have read any of these great stories. Mistborn WoB (slight spoiler - but not for books themselves) Spoiler Brandon Sanderson (2013) On my tour, I frequently read from the first chapter of a new novel in the Mistborn world, a sequel to The Alloy of Law. (In fact, you can watch my entire presentation right here. This reading comes at the 45:45 mark.) Tor, understandably, wanted to know when they could publish this book. <snip> As many of you know, the Mistborn series was pitched to my editor way back when as a trilogy of trilogies, with an epic fantasy trilogy, followed by an urban fantasy trilogy with the same magic in the same world, followed finally by a science fiction trilogy in which the magic had become the means by which space travel was possible. The Alloy books aren't part of this original plan, but in them you will find foreshadowing toward the second trilogy. Also Note, this slightly newer WoB (2017 - excerpted for spoilers): I originally pitched Mistborn to my editor, Moshe, as a trilogy of trilogies: Past, Present, Future. Epic fantasy trilogy, urban fantasy trilogy, science fiction trilogy, set in the same world, with advancing technology in which the magic becomes the foundation for space travel. And the original idea that the epic fantasy trilogy becomes the foundation of myth and religion in the modern day trilogy. Speaking of Warbreaker, if you read it free on the Sanderson website (yes, the whole novel is free), then each chapter has links to that chapter's annotations (book spoilers exist in the annotations - but are hidden). The eBook also comes with the annotations included. However, I would recommend reading through the book first, then reading through the annotations afterward (the ebook offers both options since the Annotations are after the book - but each chapter has links back-and-forth if you want to read it that way). Edited June 29, 2023 by Treamayne Warbreaker Links 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sibling she/her Posted June 29, 2023 Report Share Posted June 29, 2023 3 hours ago, Treamayne said: Skip Warbreaker entirely? I thought that it said in the OP that they had already read it, but I just went back to check and it does not say that at all so I don't know where I got that idea. Anyways, I would put Warbreaker after Elantris. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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